Overcast
by Rakata Imari
Summary: "You remind me of how her and I were in the past Ayane."


Overcast

By: Illia Sadri

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Disclaimer: Don't have any claims to anything in Gatekeepers 21. Characters and the story all are the property of Gonzo. 

Author Notes: It is well advised to actually watch Gatekeepers 21, for this story particularly up to the third episode, despite this taking place directly before the series picks up, before reading this because you will probably be fairly lost otherwise. The series is completely different from the original in its tone and characters. In fact, many don't even think it to be a true sequel series. 

This story is a third person objective point of view meaning that the narrative does not enter the minds of any characters so thus the story is driven by the physical actions and dialogue spoken. Honestly, it is one of the most difficult writing styles to use, however I felt it was appropriate for this situation.

Why write this? Well, nobody has really done anything for Gatekeepers 21 yet and it is always nice to be a trend setter. Also, I find it very intriguing the relationship between Ayane and Reiji considering we get very little information of the events following the 1969-70 setting of the original series. It is obvious based on the few moments we see that Reiji does offer some affection, particularly in the fifth episode. 

The sun was just starting to break through the overcastting clouds, allowing for a faint light to play on the rich green leaves. Two figures walk slowly along a walking path. They don't say anything, allowing their footsteps and the breeze to supply any necessary noise.

The male figure stops at a simple grave as he seems to lean heavier on the single crutch that assists him.

"Are we here already?" his companion, a short young lady with glasses, her hair short and decorated only by a simple bell tied in. She looks at the older man and then the grave, wondering why she had come with.

He gave her no answer as he allowed himself to drop down to his knees. "He never listened to me when I told him I could see the future." His red eyes closed at the memories. It was hard to believe that it had been nearly forty years. And only now could he bring himself here.

The girl merely stood and stared. Neither of them liked to speak much of the past for their own reasons. "Your father?" she asked him quietly.

He looked back to her and nodded. "Yes. He was led down the wrong path in his business affairs and would not accept my visions." He let out a sarcastic laugh. "It is strange… to this day it seems I can never see anything good coming someone else's way."

"You said that the gates consumed one's happiness…" she said quietly. "Is that what happens to all of us? Is that why my father… and what you did all those years ago… is that why so many horrible things happen?"

"Ayane." Reiji said, his face in a frown. "I don't believe I ever did tell you anything about when I myself was consumed by hate and manipulated by the invaders." He looked at her with slight suspicion.

Ayane shrugged it off. "It isn't like it was so difficult to research. I merely looked up some old newspapers, about the last time the invaders were on the move, and it mentioned that Reiji Kageyama had managed to overthrow the Prime Minister with the help of these invaders."

"Yes. It is strange how quickly the past is forgotten today. People don't want to look back at their past mistakes. That is why the invaders managed to evolve like they did from merely beings intercepting human society in its form to actual humans." Reiji looked at her. "I hated society then for what they had done; now I merely pity them for their lack of hindsight."

It took a moment for Reiji to pull himself back up. One of the main disadvantages, even with a top of the line prosthetic, was that it lacked the nerve endings like a natural limb did he could not always control how it moved. Thus, it made him stumble quite a bit and rely a bit on his crutch again. Ayane made a move to assist him only to be guided away with his hand. 

Once he was standing they continued to stare at the grave of the Mitsuoka family. They stood side by side and let the light breeze ruffle their hair.

Finally Ayane looks to her mentor ask asks him. "If you had such a hatred for them then, then why are you helping them? It's strange that someone who was helping the invaders would fight them now."

"I don't know." Reiji whispered, and he started to walk away, beckoning for the girl to follow him. "I know you are going to hate to do this but the one who did stop me was my father. To this day I do think he was one of the reasons my thinking changed."

A look of shock fell on the girl's face at the mentioning of the father whose name she divorced after…. "You knew Shun Ukiya?"

The man nodded with a smile. "Yes. I must admit that back then I thought he was just a maggot. Still……. respect does come to the victor. Even if he was a bit hot-blooded, he had passion. That is one of the things the people of today seem to lack." He offered the girl a and which she took. 

"You do remind me so much of him in some ways. And on the other hand you remind me of a girl even more." 

"A girl?" she asked, a slight blush creeping on her face. "I never knew that you could do anything beyond business."

A sigh escaped his mouth at that thought an he gave her a rare glance of affection. "Now if that were entirely true I wouldn't have invited you along. Despite what you may think of me at times my goal is not to use you. You are so much like her that I wouldn't want to make the same error." Reiji gives a slight laugh.

"You do seem to be forgetting that there is about thirty years separating us at the very least." Ayane says defiantly.

Reiji stops and shakes his head. "Trust me, I do realize this. You don't have to worry, you should know by now. It's easy though to forget that you are seventeen, but perhaps you are the equivalent of a daughter." 

Ayane turns to face Reiji. "Daughter?" she says. "I have no father. I don't expect you to be anything more than a colleague." She squints her eyes to block out the sun glaring in her eyes.

"I know it is a bit silly, I tell myself that." Reiji says, continuing to catch up to her. "Still, something is going to happen soon, the invaders keep continuing to increase. And you know that soon my gates will devour me."

The two continued walking, the sounds of cars and of people now faintly within hearing range. "That still doesn't explain why you think of me as a daughter. At least tell my your logic." Ayane demanded.

"Fair enough." Reiji submitted. "You know my secret. Maybe this is my atonement for the past. Perhaps I am doing it because of your father. Or maybe its because you are so similar to her and myself."

"I still don't understand what you are saying. You love to skirt the details don't you?" Ayane said as she stopped upon reaching the now familiar blue sports car. 

Reiji returned it with a small smirk as he went to enter his car. "I suppose you are correct. However, do listen to me on this. Both of us hold a darkness within us. You can see it in the invaders." He paused to turn on the ignition. "I can't be sure if I will make it to the end of this conflict. Whatever happens don't let the hate consume you to the point where you can't see any good. The dark gates tend to wear one down much quicker." He reached out a window and started mussing her hair.

"Why must you do that? You know I hate it." Ayane muttered as she pulled away from the cold hand. Another prosthetic which offered no feeling.

"I know…" He admitted. "Do you need a ride home or will you walk as always?"

"No." She replied, distracted by the shouting of a couple across the street. 

"I will contact you then should the invader activity rise much higher." Reiji said as his window rose, the tinted glass hiding his face and he took off through the streets, Ayane watching as her benefactor vanished. The setting sun ahead of him, dissolving the few remaining clouds of a smoggy sky.


End file.
